2010–11 New Jersey Devils season
Encyclopedia
The 2010–11
New Jersey Devils
season
was the 37th
season for the National Hockey League
franchise that was established on June 11, 1974, and 29th season since the franchise relocated to New Jersey
to start the 1982–83 NHL season.
The Devils posted a regular season record of 38 wins, 39 losses, and 5 overtime/shootout losses for 81 points, failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs
for the first time since the 1995–96 NHL season.
announced that he would retire from coaching. On June 17, 2010, the New Jersey Devils announced that John MacLean would become the 19th head coach in the franchise's history. On June 29, 2010, the Devils announced that former NHL player Adam Oates
will be the assistant coach for the team for the 2010-11 season.
Ilya Kovalchuk chose to re-sign with the Devils on July 19 for $102 million over 17 years. The deal was front-loaded with minimal payments in the last few seasons, when Kovalchuk would be in his forties, and unlikely to play. The deal was rejected by the NHL as a circumvention of the collective bargaining agreement. The Devils stated after the NHL rejection that they would appeal the decision under the "collective bargaining agreement" process. On August 8, arbitrator Richard Bloch held up the NHL's rejection of the contract, making Kovalchuk an unrestricted free agent again. On September 4, 2010, The Devils re-submitted another contract to the NHL worth $100 million to be paid over 15 years. The deal was approved by the NHL the following week as part of an NHL-NHLPA agreement concerning contracts over 5 years in length.
allowed the Devils to avoid a major trade before the start of the regular season. They opened their regular season at home on October 8 with a 4-3 OT loss to the Dallas Stars
with only 20 players on the roster. Subsequent injuries to Anton Volchenkov
and Brian Rolston
as well as a one game suspension of Pierre-Luc Létourneau-Leblond
after a 7-2 loss to the Washington Capitals
dropped the roster size to 17. The team and management have been under scrutiny for the decision to dress as few as 15 men (and 2 goaltenders) as a result of having too few funds for an average sized roster.
After an NHL worst 9-22-2 start to the season, John MacLean was fired as head coach, and Jacques Lemaire
, who had retired as the Devils' head coach in the off-season, was hired as interim head coach.
Following the trade of captain Jamie Langenbrunner
the Devils managed an astonishing turnaround. After the start of the second half of the season, the Devils saw a dramatic increase in offensive production, in addition to the outstanding performance by backup goaltender Johan Hedberg
. The Devils turned their record around from 10-29-2 on January 9th to 32-32-4 by March 12th, with a point percentage of over 80% during their 22-3-2 stretch. Following a win against New York Islanders
on March 12, the Devils found themselves six points out of the final playoff berth with a game in hand on the eighth-place New York Rangers
, and a hope of making the playoffs for a fourteenth consecutive season had been renewed among the fans. The team faded, however, finishing 12 points behind the Rangers.
At the conclusion of the season, head coach Jacques Lemaire announced he would not return to coach the Devils in the 2011-12 NHL season.
on April 2, the Devils were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 1996.
|-
|- valign="top"
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The 2010–11
New Jersey Devils
season
was the 37th
season for the National Hockey League
franchise that was established on June 11, 1974, and 29th season since the franchise relocated to New Jersey
to start the 1982–83 NHL season.
The Devils posted a regular season record of 38 wins, 39 losses, and 5 overtime/shootout losses for 81 points, failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs
for the first time since the 1995–96 NHL season.
announced that he would retire from coaching. On June 17, 2010, the New Jersey Devils announced that John MacLean would become the 19th head coach in the franchise's history. On June 29, 2010, the Devils announced that former NHL player Adam Oates
will be the assistant coach for the team for the 2010-11 season.
Ilya Kovalchuk chose to re-sign with the Devils on July 19 for $102 million over 17 years. The deal was front-loaded with minimal payments in the last few seasons, when Kovalchuk would be in his forties, and unlikely to play. The deal was rejected by the NHL as a circumvention of the collective bargaining agreement. The Devils stated after the NHL rejection that they would appeal the decision under the "collective bargaining agreement" process. On August 8, arbitrator Richard Bloch held up the NHL's rejection of the contract, making Kovalchuk an unrestricted free agent again. On September 4, 2010, The Devils re-submitted another contract to the NHL worth $100 million to be paid over 15 years. The deal was approved by the NHL the following week as part of an NHL-NHLPA agreement concerning contracts over 5 years in length.
allowed the Devils to avoid a major trade before the start of the regular season. They opened their regular season at home on October 8 with a 4-3 OT loss to the Dallas Stars
with only 20 players on the roster. Subsequent injuries to Anton Volchenkov
and Brian Rolston
as well as a one game suspension of Pierre-Luc Létourneau-Leblond
after a 7-2 loss to the Washington Capitals
dropped the roster size to 17. The team and management have been under scrutiny for the decision to dress as few as 15 men (and 2 goaltenders) as a result of having too few funds for an average sized roster.
After an NHL worst 9-22-2 start to the season, John MacLean was fired as head coach, and Jacques Lemaire
, who had retired as the Devils' head coach in the off-season, was hired as interim head coach.
Following the trade of captain Jamie Langenbrunner
the Devils managed an astonishing turnaround. After the start of the second half of the season, the Devils saw a dramatic increase in offensive production, in addition to the outstanding performance by backup goaltender Johan Hedberg
. The Devils turned their record around from 10-29-2 on January 9th to 32-32-4 by March 12th, with a point percentage of over 80% during their 22-3-2 stretch. Following a win against New York Islanders
on March 12, the Devils found themselves six points out of the final playoff berth with a game in hand on the eighth-place New York Rangers
, and a hope of making the playoffs for a fourteenth consecutive season had been renewed among the fans. The team faded, however, finishing 12 points behind the Rangers.
At the conclusion of the season, head coach Jacques Lemaire announced he would not return to coach the Devils in the 2011-12 NHL season.
on April 2, the Devils were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 1996.
|-
|- valign="top"
|
The 2010–11
New Jersey Devils
season
was the 37th
season for the National Hockey League
franchise that was established on June 11, 1974, and 29th season since the franchise relocated to New Jersey
to start the 1982–83 NHL season.
The Devils posted a regular season record of 38 wins, 39 losses, and 5 overtime/shootout losses for 81 points, failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs
for the first time since the 1995–96 NHL season.
announced that he would retire from coaching. On June 17, 2010, the New Jersey Devils announced that John MacLean would become the 19th head coach in the franchise's history. On June 29, 2010, the Devils announced that former NHL player Adam Oates
will be the assistant coach for the team for the 2010-11 season.
Ilya Kovalchuk chose to re-sign with the Devils on July 19 for $102 million over 17 years. The deal was front-loaded with minimal payments in the last few seasons, when Kovalchuk would be in his forties, and unlikely to play. The deal was rejected by the NHL as a circumvention of the collective bargaining agreement. The Devils stated after the NHL rejection that they would appeal the decision under the "collective bargaining agreement" process. On August 8, arbitrator Richard Bloch held up the NHL's rejection of the contract, making Kovalchuk an unrestricted free agent again. On September 4, 2010, The Devils re-submitted another contract to the NHL worth $100 million to be paid over 15 years. The deal was approved by the NHL the following week as part of an NHL-NHLPA agreement concerning contracts over 5 years in length.
allowed the Devils to avoid a major trade before the start of the regular season. They opened their regular season at home on October 8 with a 4-3 OT loss to the Dallas Stars
with only 20 players on the roster. Subsequent injuries to Anton Volchenkov
and Brian Rolston
as well as a one game suspension of Pierre-Luc Létourneau-Leblond
after a 7-2 loss to the Washington Capitals
dropped the roster size to 17. The team and management have been under scrutiny for the decision to dress as few as 15 men (and 2 goaltenders) as a result of having too few funds for an average sized roster.
After an NHL worst 9-22-2 start to the season, John MacLean was fired as head coach, and Jacques Lemaire
, who had retired as the Devils' head coach in the off-season, was hired as interim head coach.
Following the trade of captain Jamie Langenbrunner
the Devils managed an astonishing turnaround. After the start of the second half of the season, the Devils saw a dramatic increase in offensive production, in addition to the outstanding performance by backup goaltender Johan Hedberg
. The Devils turned their record around from 10-29-2 on January 9th to 32-32-4 by March 12th, with a point percentage of over 80% during their 22-3-2 stretch. Following a win against New York Islanders
on March 12, the Devils found themselves six points out of the final playoff berth with a game in hand on the eighth-place New York Rangers
, and a hope of making the playoffs for a fourteenth consecutive season had been renewed among the fans. The team faded, however, finishing 12 points behind the Rangers.
At the conclusion of the season, head coach Jacques Lemaire announced he would not return to coach the Devils in the 2011-12 NHL season.
on April 2, the Devils were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 1996.
|-
|- valign="top"
|
2010–11 NHL season
The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
was the 37th
New Jersey Devils seasons
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The team is a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The Devils arrived in New Jersey in 1982 after transferring from Denver, Colorado, where they had been...
season for the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
franchise that was established on June 11, 1974, and 29th season since the franchise relocated to New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
to start the 1982–83 NHL season.
The Devils posted a regular season record of 38 wins, 39 losses, and 5 overtime/shootout losses for 81 points, failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs
Stanley Cup playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records...
for the first time since the 1995–96 NHL season.
Off-season
On April 26, 2010, Jacques LemaireJacques Lemaire
Jacques Gerard Lemaire is a former ice hockey forward for the Montreal Canadiens and a long-time coach, most notably with the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild.-Playing career:...
announced that he would retire from coaching. On June 17, 2010, the New Jersey Devils announced that John MacLean would become the 19th head coach in the franchise's history. On June 29, 2010, the Devils announced that former NHL player Adam Oates
Adam Oates
Adam Oates is a retired professional ice hockey and lacrosse player and is currently an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils.-Playing career:Oates' break came when Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offered him a scholarship...
will be the assistant coach for the team for the 2010-11 season.
Ilya Kovalchuk chose to re-sign with the Devils on July 19 for $102 million over 17 years. The deal was front-loaded with minimal payments in the last few seasons, when Kovalchuk would be in his forties, and unlikely to play. The deal was rejected by the NHL as a circumvention of the collective bargaining agreement. The Devils stated after the NHL rejection that they would appeal the decision under the "collective bargaining agreement" process. On August 8, arbitrator Richard Bloch held up the NHL's rejection of the contract, making Kovalchuk an unrestricted free agent again. On September 4, 2010, The Devils re-submitted another contract to the NHL worth $100 million to be paid over 15 years. The deal was approved by the NHL the following week as part of an NHL-NHLPA agreement concerning contracts over 5 years in length.
Regular season
An injury to Bryce SalvadorBryce Salvador
Bryce Chad Salvador is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the New Jersey Devils of the NHL. Salvador was drafted in the sixth round, 138th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. Salvador was traded from the St. Louis Blues to the Devils for Cam...
allowed the Devils to avoid a major trade before the start of the regular season. They opened their regular season at home on October 8 with a 4-3 OT loss to the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
with only 20 players on the roster. Subsequent injuries to Anton Volchenkov
Anton Volchenkov
Anton Alekseyevich Volchenkov , also known as the A-Train and the Russian Bear, is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the New Jersey Devils in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Volchenkov grew up in Moscow and began attending the CSKA hockey school at the...
and Brian Rolston
Brian Rolston
Brian Lee Rolston is a professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League. He has won a Stanley Cup Championship with the New Jersey Devils in 1995, and the World Cup of Hockey in 1996 playing for Team USA...
as well as a one game suspension of Pierre-Luc Létourneau-Leblond
Pierre-Luc Létourneau-Leblond
Pierre-Luc "PL3" Létourneau-Leblond is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger in the Calgary Flames organization of the National Hockey League...
after a 7-2 loss to the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
dropped the roster size to 17. The team and management have been under scrutiny for the decision to dress as few as 15 men (and 2 goaltenders) as a result of having too few funds for an average sized roster.
After an NHL worst 9-22-2 start to the season, John MacLean was fired as head coach, and Jacques Lemaire
Jacques Lemaire
Jacques Gerard Lemaire is a former ice hockey forward for the Montreal Canadiens and a long-time coach, most notably with the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild.-Playing career:...
, who had retired as the Devils' head coach in the off-season, was hired as interim head coach.
Following the trade of captain Jamie Langenbrunner
Jamie Langenbrunner
James Craig Langenbrunner is an American professional ice hockey player. He's an alternate captain of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League . He was the captain of the 2010 United States Olympic Team...
the Devils managed an astonishing turnaround. After the start of the second half of the season, the Devils saw a dramatic increase in offensive production, in addition to the outstanding performance by backup goaltender Johan Hedberg
Johan Hedberg
Johan "Moose" Hedberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
. The Devils turned their record around from 10-29-2 on January 9th to 32-32-4 by March 12th, with a point percentage of over 80% during their 22-3-2 stretch. Following a win against New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
on March 12, the Devils found themselves six points out of the final playoff berth with a game in hand on the eighth-place New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, and a hope of making the playoffs for a fourteenth consecutive season had been renewed among the fans. The team faded, however, finishing 12 points behind the Rangers.
At the conclusion of the season, head coach Jacques Lemaire announced he would not return to coach the Devils in the 2011-12 NHL season.
Playoffs
Following a 3-1 loss to the Montreal CanadiensMontreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
on April 2, the Devils were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 1996.
Preseason
{| class="toccolours" width=90% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"|-
|- valign="top"
|
The 2010–11
2010–11 NHL season
The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
was the 37th
New Jersey Devils seasons
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The team is a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The Devils arrived in New Jersey in 1982 after transferring from Denver, Colorado, where they had been...
season for the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
franchise that was established on June 11, 1974, and 29th season since the franchise relocated to New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
to start the 1982–83 NHL season.
The Devils posted a regular season record of 38 wins, 39 losses, and 5 overtime/shootout losses for 81 points, failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs
Stanley Cup playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records...
for the first time since the 1995–96 NHL season.
Off-season
On April 26, 2010, Jacques LemaireJacques Lemaire
Jacques Gerard Lemaire is a former ice hockey forward for the Montreal Canadiens and a long-time coach, most notably with the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild.-Playing career:...
announced that he would retire from coaching. On June 17, 2010, the New Jersey Devils announced that John MacLean would become the 19th head coach in the franchise's history. On June 29, 2010, the Devils announced that former NHL player Adam Oates
Adam Oates
Adam Oates is a retired professional ice hockey and lacrosse player and is currently an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils.-Playing career:Oates' break came when Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offered him a scholarship...
will be the assistant coach for the team for the 2010-11 season.
Ilya Kovalchuk chose to re-sign with the Devils on July 19 for $102 million over 17 years. The deal was front-loaded with minimal payments in the last few seasons, when Kovalchuk would be in his forties, and unlikely to play. The deal was rejected by the NHL as a circumvention of the collective bargaining agreement. The Devils stated after the NHL rejection that they would appeal the decision under the "collective bargaining agreement" process. On August 8, arbitrator Richard Bloch held up the NHL's rejection of the contract, making Kovalchuk an unrestricted free agent again. On September 4, 2010, The Devils re-submitted another contract to the NHL worth $100 million to be paid over 15 years. The deal was approved by the NHL the following week as part of an NHL-NHLPA agreement concerning contracts over 5 years in length.
Regular season
An injury to Bryce SalvadorBryce Salvador
Bryce Chad Salvador is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the New Jersey Devils of the NHL. Salvador was drafted in the sixth round, 138th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. Salvador was traded from the St. Louis Blues to the Devils for Cam...
allowed the Devils to avoid a major trade before the start of the regular season. They opened their regular season at home on October 8 with a 4-3 OT loss to the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
with only 20 players on the roster. Subsequent injuries to Anton Volchenkov
Anton Volchenkov
Anton Alekseyevich Volchenkov , also known as the A-Train and the Russian Bear, is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the New Jersey Devils in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Volchenkov grew up in Moscow and began attending the CSKA hockey school at the...
and Brian Rolston
Brian Rolston
Brian Lee Rolston is a professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League. He has won a Stanley Cup Championship with the New Jersey Devils in 1995, and the World Cup of Hockey in 1996 playing for Team USA...
as well as a one game suspension of Pierre-Luc Létourneau-Leblond
Pierre-Luc Létourneau-Leblond
Pierre-Luc "PL3" Létourneau-Leblond is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger in the Calgary Flames organization of the National Hockey League...
after a 7-2 loss to the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
dropped the roster size to 17. The team and management have been under scrutiny for the decision to dress as few as 15 men (and 2 goaltenders) as a result of having too few funds for an average sized roster.
After an NHL worst 9-22-2 start to the season, John MacLean was fired as head coach, and Jacques Lemaire
Jacques Lemaire
Jacques Gerard Lemaire is a former ice hockey forward for the Montreal Canadiens and a long-time coach, most notably with the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild.-Playing career:...
, who had retired as the Devils' head coach in the off-season, was hired as interim head coach.
Following the trade of captain Jamie Langenbrunner
Jamie Langenbrunner
James Craig Langenbrunner is an American professional ice hockey player. He's an alternate captain of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League . He was the captain of the 2010 United States Olympic Team...
the Devils managed an astonishing turnaround. After the start of the second half of the season, the Devils saw a dramatic increase in offensive production, in addition to the outstanding performance by backup goaltender Johan Hedberg
Johan Hedberg
Johan "Moose" Hedberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
. The Devils turned their record around from 10-29-2 on January 9th to 32-32-4 by March 12th, with a point percentage of over 80% during their 22-3-2 stretch. Following a win against New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
on March 12, the Devils found themselves six points out of the final playoff berth with a game in hand on the eighth-place New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, and a hope of making the playoffs for a fourteenth consecutive season had been renewed among the fans. The team faded, however, finishing 12 points behind the Rangers.
At the conclusion of the season, head coach Jacques Lemaire announced he would not return to coach the Devils in the 2011-12 NHL season.
Playoffs
Following a 3-1 loss to the Montreal CanadiensMontreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
on April 2, the Devils were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 1996.
Preseason
{| class="toccolours" width=90% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"|-
|- valign="top"
|
The 2010–11
2010–11 NHL season
The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
was the 37th
New Jersey Devils seasons
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The team is a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The Devils arrived in New Jersey in 1982 after transferring from Denver, Colorado, where they had been...
season for the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
franchise that was established on June 11, 1974, and 29th season since the franchise relocated to New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
to start the 1982–83 NHL season.
The Devils posted a regular season record of 38 wins, 39 losses, and 5 overtime/shootout losses for 81 points, failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs
Stanley Cup playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records...
for the first time since the 1995–96 NHL season.
Off-season
On April 26, 2010, Jacques LemaireJacques Lemaire
Jacques Gerard Lemaire is a former ice hockey forward for the Montreal Canadiens and a long-time coach, most notably with the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild.-Playing career:...
announced that he would retire from coaching. On June 17, 2010, the New Jersey Devils announced that John MacLean would become the 19th head coach in the franchise's history. On June 29, 2010, the Devils announced that former NHL player Adam Oates
Adam Oates
Adam Oates is a retired professional ice hockey and lacrosse player and is currently an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils.-Playing career:Oates' break came when Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offered him a scholarship...
will be the assistant coach for the team for the 2010-11 season.
Ilya Kovalchuk chose to re-sign with the Devils on July 19 for $102 million over 17 years. The deal was front-loaded with minimal payments in the last few seasons, when Kovalchuk would be in his forties, and unlikely to play. The deal was rejected by the NHL as a circumvention of the collective bargaining agreement. The Devils stated after the NHL rejection that they would appeal the decision under the "collective bargaining agreement" process. On August 8, arbitrator Richard Bloch held up the NHL's rejection of the contract, making Kovalchuk an unrestricted free agent again. On September 4, 2010, The Devils re-submitted another contract to the NHL worth $100 million to be paid over 15 years. The deal was approved by the NHL the following week as part of an NHL-NHLPA agreement concerning contracts over 5 years in length.
Regular season
An injury to Bryce SalvadorBryce Salvador
Bryce Chad Salvador is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the New Jersey Devils of the NHL. Salvador was drafted in the sixth round, 138th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. Salvador was traded from the St. Louis Blues to the Devils for Cam...
allowed the Devils to avoid a major trade before the start of the regular season. They opened their regular season at home on October 8 with a 4-3 OT loss to the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
with only 20 players on the roster. Subsequent injuries to Anton Volchenkov
Anton Volchenkov
Anton Alekseyevich Volchenkov , also known as the A-Train and the Russian Bear, is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the New Jersey Devils in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Volchenkov grew up in Moscow and began attending the CSKA hockey school at the...
and Brian Rolston
Brian Rolston
Brian Lee Rolston is a professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League. He has won a Stanley Cup Championship with the New Jersey Devils in 1995, and the World Cup of Hockey in 1996 playing for Team USA...
as well as a one game suspension of Pierre-Luc Létourneau-Leblond
Pierre-Luc Létourneau-Leblond
Pierre-Luc "PL3" Létourneau-Leblond is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger in the Calgary Flames organization of the National Hockey League...
after a 7-2 loss to the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
dropped the roster size to 17. The team and management have been under scrutiny for the decision to dress as few as 15 men (and 2 goaltenders) as a result of having too few funds for an average sized roster.
After an NHL worst 9-22-2 start to the season, John MacLean was fired as head coach, and Jacques Lemaire
Jacques Lemaire
Jacques Gerard Lemaire is a former ice hockey forward for the Montreal Canadiens and a long-time coach, most notably with the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild.-Playing career:...
, who had retired as the Devils' head coach in the off-season, was hired as interim head coach.
Following the trade of captain Jamie Langenbrunner
Jamie Langenbrunner
James Craig Langenbrunner is an American professional ice hockey player. He's an alternate captain of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League . He was the captain of the 2010 United States Olympic Team...
the Devils managed an astonishing turnaround. After the start of the second half of the season, the Devils saw a dramatic increase in offensive production, in addition to the outstanding performance by backup goaltender Johan Hedberg
Johan Hedberg
Johan "Moose" Hedberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
. The Devils turned their record around from 10-29-2 on January 9th to 32-32-4 by March 12th, with a point percentage of over 80% during their 22-3-2 stretch. Following a win against New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
on March 12, the Devils found themselves six points out of the final playoff berth with a game in hand on the eighth-place New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, and a hope of making the playoffs for a fourteenth consecutive season had been renewed among the fans. The team faded, however, finishing 12 points behind the Rangers.
At the conclusion of the season, head coach Jacques Lemaire announced he would not return to coach the Devils in the 2011-12 NHL season.
Playoffs
Following a 3-1 loss to the Montreal CanadiensMontreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
on April 2, the Devils were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 1996.
Preseason
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Preseason: 2-1-3 (Home: 2-0-1; Road: 0-1-2)